The heavy load of traps and to a lesser extent the fibreglass sheathing both contributed to reducing the vessel's freeboard. This made her prone to shipping water in the prevailing conditions and when the shipped water in the forward section could not quickly drain aft the vessel became swamped. With her transverse stability already reduced by the high, heavy load, the CFV 151816 capsized. Even though the weather was less than favourable the owner/operator chose to take the heavily loaded vessel to sea. Several factors may have influenced this decision including that traps which are set promptly at the beginning of the season can be placed in prime locations and the early catch in a lobster season is likely to bring the higher monetary return. Thus it can be considered that there is significant pressure to set the traps as quickly as possible and this can lead a crew to take risks that otherwise they would not take. Open fishing vessels are susceptible to taking on water over the bulwarks, particularly in conditions where low freeboard and rough seas prevail. It is not common for open boat operators to have had the formal training which would allow them to fully appreciate the hazards associated with heavy loads and the free surface effect of water shipped on board their vessels. Consequently, they may have limited understanding of the dynamic factors affecting the stability of open fishing boats which are vulnerable to swamping and capsizing. Because the surface of glass-reinforced plastic is very smooth, it is difficult for a person in the water to get up on an overturned hull. Due to the small size and narrow beam of the CFV 151816, the crew member was able to reach the keel of the capsized vessel and climb up onto the hull. This likely saved his life.Analysis The heavy load of traps and to a lesser extent the fibreglass sheathing both contributed to reducing the vessel's freeboard. This made her prone to shipping water in the prevailing conditions and when the shipped water in the forward section could not quickly drain aft the vessel became swamped. With her transverse stability already reduced by the high, heavy load, the CFV 151816 capsized. Even though the weather was less than favourable the owner/operator chose to take the heavily loaded vessel to sea. Several factors may have influenced this decision including that traps which are set promptly at the beginning of the season can be placed in prime locations and the early catch in a lobster season is likely to bring the higher monetary return. Thus it can be considered that there is significant pressure to set the traps as quickly as possible and this can lead a crew to take risks that otherwise they would not take. Open fishing vessels are susceptible to taking on water over the bulwarks, particularly in conditions where low freeboard and rough seas prevail. It is not common for open boat operators to have had the formal training which would allow them to fully appreciate the hazards associated with heavy loads and the free surface effect of water shipped on board their vessels. Consequently, they may have limited understanding of the dynamic factors affecting the stability of open fishing boats which are vulnerable to swamping and capsizing. Because the surface of glass-reinforced plastic is very smooth, it is difficult for a person in the water to get up on an overturned hull. Due to the small size and narrow beam of the CFV 151816, the crew member was able to reach the keel of the capsized vessel and climb up onto the hull. This likely saved his life. The centre of gravity of the vessel was raised by the height of the load of lobster traps. The heavy load of traps reduced the freeboard and this caused the small open vessel to ship water forward when outside the relatively protected waters of Brig Bay. The transverse stability of the vessel was further compromised by shipped water not being quickly removed from the vessel. The water retained in the forward section led to the swamping and capsize of the vessel. The crew were initially unaware water was being shipped over the bow because the load of traps restricted their view forward. The owner/operator's decision to undertake the trip in the deeply laden vessel in unfavourable weather conditions was likely influenced, in part, by economic considerations. There were no life jackets or PFDs carried on the vessel at the time of the ocurrence. The crew had no formal training in vessel stability. The crew member's life was likely saved because he was able to reach the keel of the capsized vessel and climb onto the overturned hull.Findings The centre of gravity of the vessel was raised by the height of the load of lobster traps. The heavy load of traps reduced the freeboard and this caused the small open vessel to ship water forward when outside the relatively protected waters of Brig Bay. The transverse stability of the vessel was further compromised by shipped water not being quickly removed from the vessel. The water retained in the forward section led to the swamping and capsize of the vessel. The crew were initially unaware water was being shipped over the bow because the load of traps restricted their view forward. The owner/operator's decision to undertake the trip in the deeply laden vessel in unfavourable weather conditions was likely influenced, in part, by economic considerations. There were no life jackets or PFDs carried on the vessel at the time of the ocurrence. The crew had no formal training in vessel stability. The crew member's life was likely saved because he was able to reach the keel of the capsized vessel and climb onto the overturned hull. The small fishing vessel CFV151816 swamped and capsized after shipping water forward shortly after leaving the relatively protected waters of Brig Bay. The heavy load of traps had reduced the vessel's transverse stability by raising the centre of gravity and reducing the freeboard. The crew were initially unaware that the vessel was taking on water as their view of the forepart of the vessel was blocked by the load of traps.Causes and Contributing Factors The small fishing vessel CFV151816 swamped and capsized after shipping water forward shortly after leaving the relatively protected waters of Brig Bay. The heavy load of traps had reduced the vessel's transverse stability by raising the centre of gravity and reducing the freeboard. The crew were initially unaware that the vessel was taking on water as their view of the forepart of the vessel was blocked by the load of traps.